Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-12

Int they were not reported because IL WAS
no usa under the present rules Witness
never cursed i convict
william Smith, a convict, had been IN
for seven years and eight months for muir
der in the second degree. There was u"
trouble in getting along if conylcts De
hayed. Witness had heard Johnson, a
puard. curse Superintendent Peck. lie
called Superintendent Peck a ID
thing Other guards had made inn sot
Col. Peck before convicts. lie heard
| Johnson tell a convict he wouid report
him in the morning to have the privilege
of whipping them.
Mr.. T. ]. Bowers, 4 guard, said he knew
Of two men-Price Pleasant and Henry
| Johnson. who he thought had
been cruelty whipped. The wit
ness detailed the case of Pleasant, who told
the guard they would have trouble with
him. and made threatening movements.
| Johnson. the guard, gave him about 40 or
100 lashes. johnson the convict was also
whipped by johnson the guard. He got
about % or 80 lashes. Witness never
knew of Col. Peck being drunk or playing
cards
Geo. W. Rome, q convict from Parkers-
burp. in for housebreaking, was sworn.
Col Peck showed no i'll will towards con-
yicts. Witness life had been threatened
by his fellow conviCtS. He considered Sc
we're punishment absolutely necessary to
save the guards from being killed.
Wm. Raymond, of Parkersburg. a
United States convict, was sworn. He
could find no fault with his treatment.
Witness had never been punished. Pun
ishment was necessary to keep order. Dis
cipline was lax since the new rules had
been adopted.
Col. J.. +. Peck, the defendant, was then
sworn. He said the guards, contractors
and foremen were told by him never To
report a convict except when they were
absolutely certain of his guilt The
reports were in writing, and the con-
yicts were brought up and punished. He
never asked a convict whether he was
guilty or not, for that would put the con-
victs and guards on an equality. When
there was any doubt witness gave the pris-
oners the benefit of il. Witness took
charge of the institution May |, lSS5.
Thirty-Seven men were reported the
very next day by the guards, who We're
Jealous through fear of removal. He
asked the customs of Superintendent West
and ordered the men on bread and water
and to be bull-ringed, As West had done.
He met SmallwOOd and asked what was
the matter with his hand. He said he
had been hurt in the bull-ring. Witness
then had himself pulled up in the bull
ring, and as a result OF his investigation
he ordered the bull-ring 10 be abolished.
The man who Was blinded in the shOO-tly
received his injury through a mistake Of
Ferguson in holding the nozzle too close.
He also detailed the case of another con
Wet named Sharp who had been
blinded in the same way,
and said DR.. Bruce reported the
man was Shamming, but nevertheless
put him under medical treatment. The
next time Sharp was shOo-fiie witness had
DR.. Bruce present 10 note The effects. Some
time after that Wilkinson visited the Ohio
penitentiary. and came back and recon-
mended hOggiIg. Witness did not see how
the men could be held, hut Wilkinson said
he could fix a machine TO hold the men
without danger. He took the convict car
penter. went out to the w~ash-hOuse, and
made the machine and the strap. At that
time witness thought the machine much
better than the bull ring and shoe fly.
Witness first observed evidences of insub-
ordination in April or May last. While
witness was away a guard was arrested for
whipping his wife, and the MOundsville
Herald said he was not a fit man To be in
State employ. Witness discharged the
man, and influence was at once set on foot
by Wilkinson to have Director Markham
have Rine, the guard, reinstated. Will
kinsOn talked To Ferguson about the mat
ter, and the latter told witness. That
started the conspiracy, and half a dozen
were in it. Witness heard Of immoral
conduct on the part of Wilkinson in
August. Witness had never cursed the
Board of Directors. Wilkinson said he
had. and witness told the Board of Wilkin.
sons immoral practices, and on September
II, after Wilkinson's resignation had been
demanded, he resigned. On Oct. :, lsS6,
witness bought $l6S.5 30 worth OF blankets
from Simpson Il Hoge. He paid for
them in cash, because the firm
offered to discount the bill , per cent il
paid within fifteen days. As the Board
would not meet within that time, witness
paid the bill and saved the discount.
Witness bought the seeds planted in the
garden, tie c~OnVicts did the work, aud the
first year he used the vegetables in his Own
family. The second year witness used
part Of the potatoes, and credited himself
with - bushels of potatoes On the books.
He told the Directors he had understood
| a.. .,l.,t ,rn. .,titt.l ., -. IL.
garden, but if not he would pay any rea-
sonable bill. The Board allowed him his
credit. The witness detailed the ease OF
the convict Roberts sore hand, and said
he told the Doctor that Roberts had
promised his wife to write n history
of his life. and he thought he was sham
ming i'll order to obtain time la write. 1t
was then that he was sent 10 his cell and
his writing material taken from him. No
blood was brought from .tObertS aud John.
son by being tlogged. 4 cOlOred convict
named Robert Johnson was whipped with
some of his own had work and was cut "A
little on the side. That wa the only
blood he had ever seen brought from a
convict. Witness related how, when
Frank Teel had been ordered whipped, the
convict said he wouldn't stand it, and
attempted to strike the guard. when
witness hit him with n billy.
Teel then drew n knife and witness took it
from him. Johnson and Wilkinson then
both whippid the man until Wines told
them to stop. They CAV him probably
fifty licks. He had originally been ordered
but five blows, and got the addition by his
resistance. There was no more trouble
with the man.
Regarding the f~fty-three bushels OF po-
tatoeS shortage witness showed the bill
OF Mr.. Brown made ont fer the potatoes re-
iened TO by Col. Wilkinson aud the check
with which he paid the bill.
Witness never made o proposition To
General Price relative 10 a vote on the
Senatorial question.
Witness detailed how he had ordered
c%onyicts to be put OF the yard on Sunday
afternoons, and the Directors had re-
scinded the order through some influence.
lie would advise that the conyicts be kept
out SUNDAY it vas betteI foI them. if they
were disciplined. He thought there was
less danger of infiicting undue
punishment with the lash than